“CULT mom” Lori Vallow has been arrested in Hawaii, but there’s still no sign of her two missing kids.
Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan haven’t been seen since late September, and cops in Idaho say they “strongly believe” that their “lives are in danger”.
Lori Vallow, also known as Lori Daybell, 47, is the mother of two Idaho children mysteriously missing since September: Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan.
Tylee is the daughter she had with her third husband, Joseph Ryan, who died of a heart attack in 2018.
Joshua is the son she adopted with her fourth husband, the late Charles Vallow, who was fatally shot last year.
Lori, a hairdresser, has today been arrested in Kauai, Hawaii, on a warrant issued in Madison County, Idaho.
Last month, she was served with a court order, directing her to bring the kids to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare or face legal action.
But that didn’t happen, and no one knows where they are despite widespread publicity and a plea from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Police have said Lori and her new husband, Chad Daybell, have lied about the kids’ whereabouts and even about their existence.
The couple bizarrely never reported them missing, and disappeared soon after being questioned about the children – until they were recently found in Hawaii.
Chad allegedly told one person that Lori had no kids, while she allegedly told someone else that her daughter Tylee had died more than a year ago.
The puzzling case began last July, after Lori’s estranged husband, Charles Vallow, was shot and killed by her brother, Alex Cox, in an altercation at their home in Phoenix.
Lori’s new husband, Chad Daybell, is the author of several religious-themed fiction books about prophecies and the end of the world.
He and Lori jointly did Preparing A People podcasts – and both spoke alongside others about the end of the world, reports KJZZ.
The small multi-media company behind the podcasts advertises its lectures, podcasts and videos as readying people for the second coming of Jesus Christ.
At the time of their involvement with the podcasts, Lori was married to Charles Vallow, while Chad was living with his wife, Tammy Daybell.
Charles Vallow’s sister, Kay, told the Associated Press that he had confided in her that he feared Lori was cheating on him with Chad.
Charles eventually filed divorce documents in an Arizona court last February claiming that Lori believed she was a “translated being” and “a god assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000 at Christ’s second coming in July 2020,” The Arizona Republic newspaper reported.
After Charles – her fourth husband – was shot and killed in Phoenix last July, she moved her family to Idaho in August.
Two months after Lori’s move, Tammy Daybell died at her home.
Chad married Lori just two weeks after Tammy’s death.
Investigators have determined that JJ and Tylee have not been seen since September, but Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell never reported them missing.
JJ was enrolled at Kennedy Elementary School in Rexburg, Idaho, on September 3, 2019.
But he only attended lessons for several weeks before being ‘unenrolled’ on September 23, after Lori said she’d homeschool him, reports KJZZ.
It’s not clear when exactly Tylee was last seen, but reports suggest it was also in September.
Investigators said the couple later claimed JJ and Tylee were visiting relatives in Arizona.
After discovering the lie, detectives returned to her and Chad’s home the next day — only to find the couple had left town.
But it wasn’t until December 20 that the Rexburg Police Department issued a public plea to find the missing children.
After cops also named Chad and Lori as persons of interest their lawyers said that the couple were devoted and loving, and dismissed “allegations” made against them.
Sheriff’s deputies searched their home last month, removing 43 items including computers, cellphones, medication and journals.
Authorities in Idaho say there’s no sign that Joshua and Tylee Ryan ever made it to Hawaii.
Divorce documents filed by the late Charles Vallow last February claimed that Lori believed she was a “translated being” and “a god assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000 at Christ’s second coming in July 2020.”
Lori’s current – and fifth – husband, Chad Daybell also appears to have unorthodox beliefs.
He has claimed in blog posts and podcasts that he had previously died or had near-death experiences that he said allowed him to receive visions about the future.
He also wrote and published several books themed around the apocalypse and at least loosely based on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Larry and Kay Woodcock, grandparents of the missing boy JJ Vallow, have alleged that Lori and Chad have cult-like beliefs.
Julie Rowe, a self-described “visionary” and “energy worker” who says she’s a long-time pal of Chad, claims he repeatedly told her he had a vision of his former wife Tammy’s death.
In a video, Julie defended him, adding: “My angels tell me that Chad Daybell is being falsely accused of the suspicious death of his wife.
“I have talked to Tammy’s spirit.”
Lori Vallow’s estranged husband, Charles Vallow, was shot and killed in Phoenix in July last year by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox.
Alex told authorities that the shooting was in self-defense after Charles hit him with a baseball bat, but the case is unsolved.
Whatever the findings, Alex can’t stand trial – as he died of unknown causes in December.
His toxicology results could take weeks, says the Associated Press.
Chad Daybell’s wife Tammy Daybell died in October last year of what her obituary said was natural causes.
However, when Chad married Lori just two weeks after Tammy’s death, police became suspicious and had Tammy’s remains exhumed.
The test results for her and Alex’s remains have not yet been released.
Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries told KUTV that Tammy’s autopsy results are not yet complete.
